Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Di tabel itu, kolom pertama berisi nama murid dan baris terakhir menunjukkan rata-rata nilai dari diagram. - In that table, the first column contains the students’ names and the last row shows the average scores from the diagram.

Di tabel itu ≈ “in that table” / “on that table (as a layout)”.
Pada tabel itu is also correct and a bit more formal; often used in writing, reports, or presentations.
Dalam tabel itu emphasizes being inside the table (within its contents/structure).

In this sentence, all three are grammatically possible:

Di tabel itu, …
Pada tabel itu, …
Dalam tabel itu, …

They all sound natural; di is the most neutral and common in everyday and semi-formal language.

Why is it "kolom pertama" and not "pertama kolom"?

In Indonesian, descriptive words (like numbers, order, colors, size, etc.) usually come after the noun they describe:

kolom pertama = “first column” (literally: “column first”)
baris terakhir = “last row”

You almost never say "pertama kolom"; that would sound ungrammatical.

Pattern:

noun + adjective/order/number
- rumah besar = big house
- buku merah = red book
- bab kedua = second chapter
- kolom pertama = first column

What exactly does "berisi" mean in "kolom pertama berisi nama murid"? Is it like “to contain”?

Yes. Berisi roughly means “to contain / to be filled with”.

Root: isi = content
Verb: ber-isi = “to have content / to contain”

So:

Kolom pertama berisi nama murid
≈ “The first column contains the students’ names.”

A few more examples:

Botol itu berisi air. = That bottle contains water.
Buku ini berisi latihan tata bahasa. = This book contains grammar exercises.

You don’t need an extra word like “with” after it; berisi + [thing] is enough.

In "nama murid", how do we know it means “students’ names” and not just “student name” (singular)? Where are plural endings or possessives?

Indonesian usually does not mark plural or possession explicitly unless needed.

nama murid can mean:
- “a student’s name”
- “the student’s name”
- “students’ names”

The exact meaning is understood from context. In a table column, you typically list one name per row for many students, so "nama murid" is interpreted as “students’ names”.

There is no possessive ending like ’s in English. Instead you just put the owner after the thing:

nama murid = the name of the student / students’ names
buku guru = teacher’s book / the teacher’s book
rumah mereka = their house (here mereka is a pronoun, but same position: after the noun)

What is the difference between "murid", "siswa", and "pelajar"? Why does this sentence use "murid"?

All three relate to “student / pupil / learner”, but there are nuances:

murid
- Often for school pupils (elementary to high school).
- Slightly more personal / traditional tone (e.g., guru–murid relationship).
siswa
- Very common for school students, especially in official/educational contexts.
- You see it a lot in government or school documents: siswa baru, data siswa, etc.
pelajar
- Literally “learner”.
- Often refers to students in general, especially school-age (not university).
- You see phrases like pelajar Indonesia di Jepang = Indonesian students in Japan.

In this sentence, murid is perfectly natural. siswa would also work:
kolom pertama berisi nama siswa.

Why is there no explicit subject pronoun like “it” before "kolom pertama berisi ..."? Is "kolom pertama" the subject?

Yes. "Kolom pertama" itself is the subject of the clause.

Indonesian doesn’t use a dummy subject like English “it”. The structure is:

Kolom pertama (subject)
berisi (verb)
nama murid (object/complement)

So:

Kolom pertama berisi nama murid.
= The first column contains the students’ names.

You don’t need (and wouldn’t say) something like “It, the first column, contains…” in Indonesian; just start with the actual subject.

In "baris terakhir menunjukkan rata-rata nilai", how is "menunjukkan" formed, and what does it literally mean?

Menunjukkan means “to show / to indicate / to display”.

Morphology:

Root: tunjuk = to point (at something)
Verb: menunjuk = to point
Verb with -kan: menunjuk-kan → menunjukkan = to cause something to be pointed out → to show / to indicate

So:

baris terakhir menunjukkan rata-rata nilai
≈ “the last row shows the average score/grade.”

Examples:

Grafik ini menunjukkan tren penjualan. = This graph shows the sales trend.
Hasil tes menunjukkan peningkatan. = The test results show an improvement.

What does "rata-rata" mean, and why is it written with a hyphen?

Rata-rata means “average” (in the mathematical/statistical sense).

It is formed by reduplicating the word rata with a hyphen:

rata → rata-rata

Reduplication often changes or specifies meaning. Here it becomes the noun/adjective “average”:

rata-rata nilai = the average of the scores / average score
nilai rata-rata siswa = the students’ average grade

Spelling notes:

Standard Indonesian: rata-rata (with a hyphen).
Writing ratarata or rata rata without the hyphen is non-standard.

What does "nilai" mean here? Is it “value” or “grade” or “score”?

Nilai has several related meanings depending on context:

Score / grade / mark (in school, tests, exams)
- nilai ujian = exam score
- nilai matematika = math grade
Value (in a more general sense)
- nilai tukar = exchange rate (literally “exchange value”)
- nilai ekonomi = economic value

In the sentence about a table of students and a diagram, nilai most naturally means “scores/grades”.
So rata-rata nilai = “the average of the scores/grades”.

In "rata-rata nilai dari diagram", what does "dari" express? Could we say something else instead of "dari"?

Dari means “from”. So:

rata-rata nilai dari diagram
≈ “the average score from the diagram (chart/graph).”

It suggests the average is taken from / calculated using the data shown in the diagram.

Other possibilities (with slightly different nuance):

rata-rata nilai pada diagram = the average score on the diagram
rata-rata nilai di diagram = the average score in/on the diagram

But dari diagram is very common when you mean “derived from the diagram’s data.”

What is the function of "itu" in "Di tabel itu"? Could we use "ini" instead?

Itu is a demonstrative meaning roughly “that” (distal), while ini means “this” (proximal).

tabel itu = that table / the table (previously mentioned, or not near the speaker)
tabel ini = this table (close to the speaker, or the one currently being discussed/pointed at as “this”)

So:

Di tabel itu, … ≈ “In that table, …”
Di tabel ini, … ≈ “In this table, …”

You could say tabel ini instead if the context is that you’re referring to a table right in front of you or just introduced as “this table”. Both are grammatically fine; the choice depends on which one you conceptually mean (this vs that / current vs previously mentioned).

Why is it "baris terakhir" and not "baris yang terakhir"? Is there a difference?

Both are grammatically correct:

baris terakhir
baris yang terakhir

Baris terakhir is shorter and more neutral; it’s the usual way to say “the last row”.

Adding yang:

baris yang terakhir

can add a slight emphasis, like “the row that is last” or “the one that is last”. It can sound a bit more specific or contrastive in some contexts, but in many cases it’s just a stylistic variant.

In a straightforward descriptive sentence about a table, baris terakhir is the most natural and efficient choice.

Is the comma before "kolom pertama" necessary in "Di tabel itu, kolom pertama berisi …"? Could we drop it?

You will often see a comma after an initial location/time phrase in Indonesian, especially in writing:

Di tabel itu, kolom pertama berisi nama murid …

This comma separates the fronted adverbial phrase (Di tabel itu) from the main clause. It’s:

Clear and stylistically good in careful writing.
Not strictly mandatory in informal writing; you might see:
- Di tabel itu kolom pertama berisi nama murid …

Both are accepted in real usage. With the comma is considered better style in formal or educational texts.

The sentence uses "dan" to connect two parts: "kolom pertama berisi … dan baris terakhir menunjukkan …". Are these two full clauses, or is something omitted?

These are two full clauses joined by dan (“and”):

kolom pertama berisi nama murid
- Subject: kolom pertama
- Verb: berisi
- Complement: nama murid
baris terakhir menunjukkan rata-rata nilai dari diagram
- Subject: baris terakhir
- Verb: menunjukkan
- Object: rata-rata nilai dari diagram

So the structure is:

Di tabel itu, [clause 1] dan [clause 2].

Nothing important is omitted; each clause has its own subject and verb. The conjunction dan just links them in a natural way, like in English:
“In that table, the first column contains … and the last row shows …”